I just googled variations of “shoes in purse” and found a surprising dearth of blogs that discussed this urban habit. I always carry shoes in my purse. I have to. I walk everywhere in Washington D.C. I walk to work, to the subway, to run errands after work, to the gym and to meet friends for dinner. My journey to the office involves a mile of walking each way, and yet I do not have any desire to spend all day in the shoes I need for marching that distance. I am definitely no Carrie Bradshaw, and these days I do gravitate toward chunkier heels, but I still enjoy a pretty shoe. I therefore put them in my bag each morning before I head out the door.
I am not alone. If I arrive at a restaurant to meet a girlfriend a few seconds after she does, I will inevitably see her sitting on a bench outside, quickly changing shoes before she goes inside. This is why we carry huge bags. They are a necessity to those of us who cannot stash stuff in our car. Once the man I was dating gave me a smallish tote for my birthday. I appreciated it, but almost never used it. It wasn’t made for walking.
My go to bag is my Longchamp tote. It is a classic, matches everything, and can fit a laptop, wallet, heels, and a cardigan or wrap–all at once. I’ve been beating mine all over D.C. for years, and it still looks fabulous.
I also recently discovered those adorable Steve Madden sandals on Amazon. Even with changing shoes after I arrive at work, my building is huge. I walk a lot during the day even if I don’t go out. This pair is so comfortable that I don’t absolutely have to change shoes if I am going to an event straight from the office. The solid heel is definitely on the side of those of us who are post-40 and have a hard time working the razor thin heels any longer.
Does your hand bag double as a shoe bag?
